


31. Dance

by TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsG



Series: Twinkstober 2020 [31]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Angry Jaskier | Dandelion, Crack, Feral Jaskier | Dandelion, Gen, Geralt has BDE, Heartbreak, I Don't Even Know, I apologise to Sir Elton John, Jaskier | Dandelion Being a Little Shit, Kinktober, Long-Term Relationship(s), Oblivious Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, POV Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Post-Episode: S01E06 Rare Species, Revenge song, Songfic, This Is STUPID, Unrequited Love, big dumbass energy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28265658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsG/pseuds/TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsG
Summary: Twinkstober 2020Prompt: danceGeralt really screwed the pooch on this one.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Twinkstober 2020 [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1923553
Comments: 15
Kudos: 112





	31. Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Look. I have no idea. My music app assaulted me with the [Taron Egerton](https://youtu.be/pHZneOidj9A) version of this and all I could see in my mind's eye was Jaskier absolutely rocking the shit out of this.
> 
> Happy holidays, y'all.

It's been three months since Geralt saw the bard last.

Well.

 _Saw_.

Screamed at him to piss off and never bother him again.

Not the smartest thing he's ever done, Geralt had realised after cooling off for a while, and he'd wanted to find Jaskier and apologise because really. What the _fuck_ , past-Geralt?

Unfortunately, his former traveling companion has seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth, and for said last three months, Geralt has been wandering aimlessly and bard-lessly, which, turns out, sucks immensely. He has to take more contracts, for one, to afford the level of comfort he has come to, while not expect, appreciate, what with Jaskier paying for their rooms through his music more often than not.

The other option is roughing it, and while he's more than used to it, he won't deny (at least not to himself) that he _likes_ having a roof over his head and a bed to sleep in.

The most pressing problem, of course, is that he quite simply _misses_ the bard. Sure, he's refused to call him his friend for, what, two decades now? Words don't matter, actions do, and if he hadn't considered Jaskier his friend, he wouldn't have let him tag along for all this time. _Surely_ the bard must know that.

He's somewhere near Tridam, in a little no-name village, and it's absolutely pissing it down. He can barely see the road, and Roach is none too pleased with having to lug his sorry ass around in this weather, so when he spots the tavern through the sheets of rain coming down, he doesn't hesitate. Roach is handed off to a stable hand, and Geralt makes his way to the door, head down under his hood to protect his face from the rain.

It's not until he reaches the door that he hears the music, the roaring of the rain blocking it out until now. It's a lute, and a very, _very_ familiar voice. Geralt almost rips the door off its hinges in his haste to open it.

The inside is packed, hot and humid with the press of bodies and the rain, and there is Jaskier in all his glory. He's practically bouncing across the room as he sings, a sort of manic energy to his movements. He's singing and dancing between the tables and playing his lute all at once, and Geralt is struck dumb in bewilderment.

People are clapping along, having a marvelous time despite the crap weather, and it takes Geralt a moment to concentrate on the words of Jaskier's song, and when he does, all he can think is, _Fuck_.

Because this song? It's _definitely_ about him.

" _Once I never could hope to win_  
_You starting down the road leaving me again_  
_The threats you made were meant to cut me down"_

Fuck.

" _And if our love was just a circus you'd be a clown by now"_

_Fuck_.

He watches, lips pressed together, as Jaskier drops his lute and grabs a young woman by the hands, pulling her into a fast-paced dance down the aisle as he belts the lyrics at the top of his lungs.

Geralt had no idea the bard was this fit, if he's being honest.

" _You know I'm still standing better than I ever did_  
_Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid_ "

Jaskier spins the woman into a pirouette, then back down the aisle, and when he releases her, he hops up onto a bench, pulling his lute to his front again.

" _And I'm still standing after all this time_  
_Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind_

_I'm still standing"_

That's when Jaskier spots him, and for a second the manic energy slips off his face before he grins, a truly feral grin, and he throws himself into the chorus with renewed vigour, looking at Geralt the entire time.

And when the song ends, he drops his lute, lifts his hand, and flips Geralt off before he hops back off the bench, disappearing into the crowd that surges to its feet, applauding.

Geralt is standing by the door, dripping rainwater onto the floor, and thinking to himself that he must have stumbled into some strange parallel reality, because that? Did _not_ just happen.

He makes his way through the press of bodies, trying to find Jaskier, but it turns out the bard finds him first. Suddenly there's a hand on his wrist, pulling, and when he turns and looks, it's Jaskier, sweaty and still brimming with that same odd energy and attempting to pull Geralt into a room off the side.

He lets himself be tugged along. Whatever this is is not going to be pretty.

Once inside the room, Jaskier shoves him none too gently into the direction of the hearth before he slams the door closed. Geralt pushes back his hood and stands there, a little awkwardly, and waits for Jaskier to speak.

Jaskier, meanwhile, is leaning back against the door, watching him intently. Then, when Geralt starts fidgeting, he smiles. "Fancy seeing you here."

Geralt grunts. "I was... looking for you."

Jaskier's eyebrows rise. "Oh, were you now? This should be interesting. Go on, why were you looking for me, when I had so _graciously_ decided to fulfill your most ardent wish and took myself off your hands?"

There is the anger Geralt expected. _Good_. He knows anger. "I wanted to apologise."

"Do you? Consider me shocked." The bard's eyebrows have risen even higher. "Geralt of Rivia, apologising! Never thought I'd see the day!"

"Jaskier-"

" _No_ ," the bard cuts him off. "You do not get to do that. You don't get to just swan back into my life after you tore my heart from my chest and tossed it off the side of that _fucking_ mountain, Geralt. I am sick of it." He takes a deep breath. "I'm sick of following you around like a lovesick puppy, begging for scraps of your attention. You told me _very clearly_ what you think of me, and I will not accept some half-arsed apology just because it'll make _you_ feel better."

Geralt watches him for a long moment. Lovesick, Jaskier said. Tore out his heart.

"Jaskier, are you in love with me?"

The bard stares at him, then stares more. Then he covers his face with his hands and starts to laugh, and he keeps laughing until he can't breathe any more.

Geralt stands there, still dripping water onto the floor, and feels like an idiot.

Finally Jaskier calms down. He's grinning, but it looks pained. "Yes, you oblivious bastard, I'm in love with you. You obviously didn't notice but I've been in love with you for nearly as long as we've known each other."

What.

"Why didn't you say something?"

Honestly, _what_?

"Because, my _dear_ Witcher, you don't deal well with emotions. If I had told you how I felt, you were more likely to turn around and run away as fast as you could than to accept what I was telling you." He takes a deep breath. "I _know_ you, Geralt, and keeping this to myself was the only way I could stay by your side." He smiles wryly, painfully. "Obviously that plan turned a bit to shit after all."

"I had no idea."

Jaskier snorts. "I noticed. I was not subtle in my adoration, and still you pushed me away at any opportunity." He shrugs. "I was content with the little I got." Then he purses his lips. "But thankfully you finally cured me of my delusions on that mountain, so I suppose I owe you my thanks." And he sketches a little bow with a sardonic smile.

Fuck.

"I didn't mean it," Geralt says, and Jaskier huffs a laugh.

"Good for you." He turns away, hand on the doorknob. "Well, it's been lovely. Let's not repeat this too soon."

"Jaskier, wait, _please_."

Incredibly, he does. Geralt's heart beats in his throat.

"I miss you."

Jaskier's shoulders tense. Then he says, "Now you know how I feel," and then he's out the door, leaving it open behind him as he disappears back into the crowd.

* * *

Geralt sleeps in the hayloft above the stable, or rather doesn't. He just lies there, staring up at the roof, listening to the rain.

He really fucked up this time. The one human friend he's had has finally had enough of his bullshit. It's not a surprise, really. Only a matter of time.

Except it _wasn't_ time, it was Geralt himself who did everything in his power to drive Jaskier away.

He really should've learned his lesson about, "Be careful what you wish for," by now.

* * *

It's barely light out when Geralt jerks awake from the uncomfortable doze he had fallen into. There is a voice underneath him, talking to one of the horses quietly, and he assumes it to be the stable hand feeding them.

But then he's more awake and he recognises the voice, talking softly to Roach.

He almost falls out of the hayloft in his haste to get down.

"I've been thinking," Jaskier says by way of greeting, "that inflicting my apparently so distasteful presence on you would be an apt punishment for your bullheadedness." He looks up from where he's petting Roach's nose, blue eyes twinkling. Behind that mischievous gaze is a longing, a hope, and Geralt hums.

"Go get your things, then," he says as he walks past Jaskier to collect Roach's tack. Jaskier laughs and nudges a pack with his foot.

"Oh, I am _miles_ ahead of you, my dear."

Things aren't right between them, Geralt thinks as they make their way out of the stable and onto the road. The rain has thankfully dissipated, even if the muddy road sucks at their boots as they walk. But, he thinks as Jaskier hums the song from the night before, maybe they're on their way to mending things.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/formerly_as_g?s=09)!


End file.
